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Tri-Met, MAX contribute to PSU’s commuter school status With over 15,000 students in attendance and only 1,300 living on campus, Portland State University de­ fines the term commuter school. "For $39 a month, I can ride the Metropolitan Area Express (MAX) train from Gresham to PSU in less than 20 minutes. I don't have to worry about parking," said James Hunt, a Marketing ma­ jor, "and, I'm closer to the mountain (Mt. Hood)." MAX is expanding west into the Beaverton area providing more flexible transportation and living situa­ tions for students. Limited parking has plagued PSU as long as anyone can remember, and if you're lucky enough to get a school parking permit, you paid dearly for it. Plugging the meter is an alternative, but its expen­ sive and no one can escape without getting a few park­ ing tickets every term. Even those who know how to pick the vulnerable spring-driven meters are finding them replaced with new, un-pickable, digital models. Tri-Met's MAX and the bus systems offer a convenient alternative to driving. Unlike Los Angeles, clean air and water are im­ portant to Portlanders and Tri-Met promises help. The 1990's has been termed the environmental and health decade, and Portlanders have an environmental bias. The heavy push for electric trains is evidence, along with bumper stickers pasted to Tri-Met buses, saying, "I kept twenty cars off the road today." Portland even brought the cleaner, electric trolley cars out of retire­ ment to service travelers between the east and west sides of the Willamette River. Trolleys will carry you through a loop between the Memorial Coliseum, the Oregon Convention Center and Lloyd Center on the east side to the downtown west side with its retail stores and performance halls on Broadway. Almost every student has used Tri-Met at one time or another. Whether funnelling in from other parts of the city or skipping around town in the free Fareless Square zone, public transportation is a lifeline to the students of PSU. For less than $1.30 per student per day, Tri-Met transports thousands of students to PSU and around town. The convenient, fast, and efficient trans­ portation, the style of trolley cars, the expansion of MAX, and the environmental trends keep our public transportation system alive and growing. Tri-Met offers students a cheap transportation alternative while helping to preserve our environment. 40